Written by Tyler Kuehl
 
BENSENVILLE, Ill. – After a weekend sweep over Concordia (Mich.), the Panthers traveled down to the suburbs of Chicago for their final game of the regular season. It was their biggest game of the season, as they were playing to keep their season alive in a do-or-die matchup against the Robert Morris (Ill.) Eagles. Winner was moving on the Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association (CCWHA) Playoffs.
 
The game was close from start to finish, and while Robert Morris outshot the Panthers, DU had their fair share of scoring chances. The Eagles went ahead in penalty-filled first period, before Davenport was able to knot it up in the second. Both teams had close calls in the third period, and it would be the home team who would get the last laugh with a goal in the waning minutes to punch their ticket to the postseason.
 
QUICK STATS
 
Final Score: Davenport 1 – Robert Morris (Ill.) 2
Shots: DU 28 – RMU 50
Power Play: DU (0/1) | RMU (0/4)
Records: DU (8-17-1, 3-11) | RMU (6-24-1, 4-9-1)
 
TIGHT BATTLE
 
The first period saw the Eagles come out strong, creating many chances in the Panther zone and testing Julia Gaynor early and often. Robert Morris ended up outshooting DU 17-7 in the opening frame, and would take the lead into the intermission after Alicia Sinnett scored her sixth goal of the season a little passed the halfway mark of the period.
 
Davenport, however, would bounce back in period two. They were able to flip the ice and have substantial offensive zone time in the Eagles' zone. They were rewarded just over five minutes into the period when Courtney Mulligan set up Amanda Ballestero for her fifth goal of the season to tie the game at one. The Panthers ended up putting 11 shots on goal to RMU's 16 in the middle frame.
 
LATE HEARTBREAK
 
Tensions were high in the third period, as both teams were desperate to find the potential game-winning goal. Gaynor made a huge save 2-on-1 save early in the frame to keep the game tied, and the Eagles' Annette Scislowicz stood tall on the other end as well.
 
The two team's traded chances as the minutes ticked down, and with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, Rachel Arias scored her fifth of the year to give the Eagles the lead.
 
The Panthers looked for one last gasp to tie the game, but they were unable to find the back of the net, and their season would end with a 2-1 loss.
 
LAST CALL
 
The loss marked the final game in the careers of Caitlin Miscovich, Olivia Rudberg, Zoie Amatore and Amanda Ballestero. All four girls rank in the top-10 all-time in games played, with Ballestero finishing sixth (75), Miscovich in fifth (81), and Amatore (89) and Rudberg (99) finishing fourth and third.